Kelsey is the Curator of Archives and Library Resources for the Indiana University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. She received her Masters degree in Information and Library Science specializing in rare books and special collections at Indiana University in 2013. Interests include bridging the gap between special collections and indigenous communities, information literacy, and teaching with primary sources.
Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, 2024
Archival research that involves Indigenous-related collections should center and prioritize Indig... more Archival research that involves Indigenous-related collections should center and prioritize Indigenous interests and goals regarding the materials. Professionals within these spaces are responsible for taking actions to build safe connections between collections and the communities they represent. Archival materials are often overlooked as relationship-building opportunities. This paper explores collaborative efforts between the Indiana University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and Native partners whose histories are found in collections at the institution, as well as how policies and procedures are changing to be a more inclusive space. Though museums are often the focus of NAGPRA-related conversations, we also emphasize that archives may contain NAGPRA-eligible materials and discuss a few of those instances. Repatriation, whether or digital or physical, remains a valid strategy for returning archival materials but like all consultation, relies on the circumstance. Ultimately, we argue that professionals should return control of appropriate Indigenous materials to their source communities which takes steps towards indigenizing and decolonizing archival research.
The Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology (GBL) at Indiana University (IU) combines a research... more The Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology (GBL) at Indiana University (IU) combines a research laboratory, museum, and library. Along with over five million artifacts representing the archaeology of Indiana and the Midwest, the GBL also houses extensive photographic collections and archival materials documenting the history of archaeological work in the region and the heritage of its Indigenous Peoples. Over the past few years, the GBL has been working to digitized, preserve, and disseminate these collections online and has built up a broad and diverse community around them in the process. This includes not only partners in IU Libraries Digital Collections Services (DCS) but also students, Tribal partners, and other cultural heritage institutions. Projects highlighted include digitization of the Great Lakes-Ohio Valley Ethnohistory collection and the GBL's historic archaeological image collection. Continued conversations with project collaborators will help the GBL and the broader academic community better understand how to manage digital heritage projects in an environment that increasingly embraces open access policies. This chapter discusses both the challenges and opportunities of such collaborations and their potential for lasting impact on institutional practices in higher education.
Repatriation of archival materials holds great potential for decolonizing archaeological archives... more Repatriation of archival materials holds great potential for decolonizing archaeological archives. This paper argues that while repatriation of human remains and cultural objects is required by law under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), traditional manuscript archives can and should be subject to the same standards for repatriation. The entirety of the archaeological archive can therefore be repatriated to descendant communities. In fact, many museums and other institutions have adopted the practice of digital repatriation of both documents and artifacts. By repatriating a facsimile of an important cultural item, institutions may actually perpetuate the colonial perspective that the original item’s proper place is with the institution instead of with its community of origin. This paper addresses situations in which it is both appropriate and inappropriate to repatriate a digital copy instead of the original object.
The long history of archaeological fieldwork from Angel Mounds in Evansville, Indiana amassed a c... more The long history of archaeological fieldwork from Angel Mounds in Evansville, Indiana amassed a collection of over 2.5 million artifacts, approximately 23,000 pages of field notes and associated records, 5,000 print photographs, 7,000 slides and negatives, 110 published works and manuscripts, and over 1.25 terabytes of digital data, making the Angel collection one of the most systematically excavated and documented archaeological projects in North America. Staff have made efforts to enhance and preserve this legacy of data.
The Wyandotte Nation was collaborating with the Kansas City, Kansas Public Library and the IU Mus... more The Wyandotte Nation was collaborating with the Kansas City, Kansas Public Library and the IU Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology to assemble digital versions of primary historical sources documenting the Huron/Wyandot experience across the Midwest. The digital resources will be compiled with searchable transcriptions and commentaries to be accessed as the Wyandot Heritage Digital Archive (WHDA). These efforts were funded by two IMLS grants. Presenters discussed the unique challenges of maintaining this collaboration through the pandemic, as we worked to counter the "mystique" often attached to digitally based research to focus on community-centered access and usability.
The Glenn A. Black LAboratory of Archaeology hosted a social media event using the hashtag #Angel... more The Glenn A. Black LAboratory of Archaeology hosted a social media event using the hashtag #AngelArchaeo80 to celebrate and share the history of archaeological excavations using archival documents.
Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, 2024
Archival research that involves Indigenous-related collections should center and prioritize Indig... more Archival research that involves Indigenous-related collections should center and prioritize Indigenous interests and goals regarding the materials. Professionals within these spaces are responsible for taking actions to build safe connections between collections and the communities they represent. Archival materials are often overlooked as relationship-building opportunities. This paper explores collaborative efforts between the Indiana University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and Native partners whose histories are found in collections at the institution, as well as how policies and procedures are changing to be a more inclusive space. Though museums are often the focus of NAGPRA-related conversations, we also emphasize that archives may contain NAGPRA-eligible materials and discuss a few of those instances. Repatriation, whether or digital or physical, remains a valid strategy for returning archival materials but like all consultation, relies on the circumstance. Ultimately, we argue that professionals should return control of appropriate Indigenous materials to their source communities which takes steps towards indigenizing and decolonizing archival research.
The Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology (GBL) at Indiana University (IU) combines a research... more The Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology (GBL) at Indiana University (IU) combines a research laboratory, museum, and library. Along with over five million artifacts representing the archaeology of Indiana and the Midwest, the GBL also houses extensive photographic collections and archival materials documenting the history of archaeological work in the region and the heritage of its Indigenous Peoples. Over the past few years, the GBL has been working to digitized, preserve, and disseminate these collections online and has built up a broad and diverse community around them in the process. This includes not only partners in IU Libraries Digital Collections Services (DCS) but also students, Tribal partners, and other cultural heritage institutions. Projects highlighted include digitization of the Great Lakes-Ohio Valley Ethnohistory collection and the GBL's historic archaeological image collection. Continued conversations with project collaborators will help the GBL and the broader academic community better understand how to manage digital heritage projects in an environment that increasingly embraces open access policies. This chapter discusses both the challenges and opportunities of such collaborations and their potential for lasting impact on institutional practices in higher education.
Repatriation of archival materials holds great potential for decolonizing archaeological archives... more Repatriation of archival materials holds great potential for decolonizing archaeological archives. This paper argues that while repatriation of human remains and cultural objects is required by law under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), traditional manuscript archives can and should be subject to the same standards for repatriation. The entirety of the archaeological archive can therefore be repatriated to descendant communities. In fact, many museums and other institutions have adopted the practice of digital repatriation of both documents and artifacts. By repatriating a facsimile of an important cultural item, institutions may actually perpetuate the colonial perspective that the original item’s proper place is with the institution instead of with its community of origin. This paper addresses situations in which it is both appropriate and inappropriate to repatriate a digital copy instead of the original object.
The long history of archaeological fieldwork from Angel Mounds in Evansville, Indiana amassed a c... more The long history of archaeological fieldwork from Angel Mounds in Evansville, Indiana amassed a collection of over 2.5 million artifacts, approximately 23,000 pages of field notes and associated records, 5,000 print photographs, 7,000 slides and negatives, 110 published works and manuscripts, and over 1.25 terabytes of digital data, making the Angel collection one of the most systematically excavated and documented archaeological projects in North America. Staff have made efforts to enhance and preserve this legacy of data.
The Wyandotte Nation was collaborating with the Kansas City, Kansas Public Library and the IU Mus... more The Wyandotte Nation was collaborating with the Kansas City, Kansas Public Library and the IU Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology to assemble digital versions of primary historical sources documenting the Huron/Wyandot experience across the Midwest. The digital resources will be compiled with searchable transcriptions and commentaries to be accessed as the Wyandot Heritage Digital Archive (WHDA). These efforts were funded by two IMLS grants. Presenters discussed the unique challenges of maintaining this collaboration through the pandemic, as we worked to counter the "mystique" often attached to digitally based research to focus on community-centered access and usability.
The Glenn A. Black LAboratory of Archaeology hosted a social media event using the hashtag #Angel... more The Glenn A. Black LAboratory of Archaeology hosted a social media event using the hashtag #AngelArchaeo80 to celebrate and share the history of archaeological excavations using archival documents.
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